POLICE and Nottingham City Transport staff will work together again tomorrow in the fourth and latest ‘Gateway’ check on crime.
The operation, on Friday, February 24, will see officers backing up bus inspectors as they get on vehicles to seek out and prevent any incidents of crime and anti-social behaviour they identify on the city’s public transport system.
As always, the times and locations of the checks are not being announced in advance for obvious reasons
The Gateway operation tomorrow will be the fourth held this year as part of the on-going Respect for Transport campaign.
In total, 1,100 passengers on 23 buses and 19 trams were checked during the first two Gateways held on February 10 and 16. The third was held on February 21.
Then, as now, transport inspectors and police officers are on the look out for fare-dodgers, fraudulent use of tickets and transport passes or anybody who is using criminal or anti-social behaviour towards passengers or public transport staff.
Motorists who are illegally using public transport routes, such as bus and tram lanes, are also liable to be caught and issued with fixed penalty fines.
PC Derek Pickering, the Transport Beat Manager for Nottingham’s public transport network, who is co-coordinating the Gateway operations, said that 11 motorists were issued with fixed penalties during the February 16 operation for driving down the tram-only section of Goldsmith Street.
But he added: “It’s pleasing to see that the vast majority of the public travelling on Nottingham’s trams and buses are using the services in a law-abiding and respectful manner.
“The first two Gateways saw 23 buses and 19 trams checked, with almost 1,100 passengers on board.
“Apart from a handful of ticket anomalies, there have been no incidents of any substance witnessed. One person was caught using a bus pass which didn’t
belong to him; he was asked to leave the bus and the card has been seized and withdrawn.
“A number of motorists were also issued with Fixed Penalty Notices for driving their vehicles through the tram-only area of Goldsmith Street”.
Further Gateway checks are planned for 2006 by Respect for Transport, which is backed by Nottinghamshire police, Nottingham City Council, Nottingham City Transport, Nottinghamshire County Council, Nottingham Express Transit, JC Decaux, British Transport Police and Greater Nottingham Transport Partnership’s The Big Wheel.
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